


Galu Nan Glass

by KadiRose0101



Series: Naurthûl Nin [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Thranduil learns to smile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:14:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29898192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KadiRose0101/pseuds/KadiRose0101
Summary: Tathren takes some time to clean up after being on the road for a while and Thranduil comes to her room, having a small conversation.Galu Nan Glass. Growth of Joy.
Relationships: Thranduil/Tathren
Series: Naurthûl Nin [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2183742





	Galu Nan Glass

The guard led Tathren through the many halls of the palace. She felt out of place even though it was similar to what it was like at home. It had been what felt like forever since she had been in this kind of environment. The halls were tall and felt warm with the browns and tans that lined them. There were several small bridges and staircases that they went over and up before they arrived at a set of ornate doors.

"This is your room, my lady," the guard informed her.

Tathren was taken aback by the formality but didn't correct the guard. She nodded to the woman and she nodded back before departing. Tathren stood there in front of the doors and felt nervous for some odd reason.

She placed her hands on the doors and pushed them open, revealing a beautiful room with an elegant look. It was open and massive in size, looking like it could host a large party. She stepped into the room and she closed the doors behind her. She turned around and took a closer look.

There was a massive four-poster bed in the center of the room with intricate tree branch designs. There were also tall doors that could be pushed open to reveal a view of the trees outside. There was a vanity pressed against one wall with a similar design to the bed frame. There was also a nice sitting area with a couch and two chairs with a coffee table in the center.

Off on one side of the room was an open doorway where she could smell herbal scents and felt some humidity emanating from there. She walked in that direction and entered the room to see that it was a natural hot spring. The room smelled of gentle lavender and bath salts. The water had a gentle rippling effect and steam rose in the air. On one side of the small spring was a wide window that looked out over some treetops. It was dark out, but it was beautiful regardless.

Tathren walked back out to the main area and pulled her bow off of her back, resting it against the foot of her bed. She took off the outer layers of her clothing and stripped them down to her undershirt and pants. She then walked back to the spring room and saw that there was a small stool with a set of sleeping clothes placed there.

She began working to take the small braids out that she kept spread through her hair. Once the braids were undone, she combed her fingers through her hair. She then removed her remaining clothing and undergarments and placed them off to the side.

Tathren moved to the edge of the spring and stepping into the steaming water. The first feel of the hot water was heavenly. She slowly submerged herself in the liquid until only her head was above it. She let out a sigh, feeling all of the tension release from her body. She tilted her head back, wetting the rest of her hair, and let out another sigh. She couldn't remember the last time she had washed up with a warm bath. The cold water had been her go-to for the longest time.

After basking in the warmth for a few more minutes, she began to thoroughly wash over her body, making sure to get every speck of dirt or dust. She then washed her hair and rinsed it. Her entirety smelled of lavender and she felt the cleanest she had felt in a year.

Eventually, she felt her skin beginning to prune and knew she should get out. She stepped out of the spring and the water dripped off of her skin. She rang out her hair and reached for a towel, squeezing her hair in the fabric. She dried off her body and then pulled on the sleep clothes that had been left for her.

The sleep clothing was a loose white nightgown with thin straps over her shoulders. The gown stopped a few inches above her ankles and fell loosely around her figure, but somehow still accentuated it. It also had beautifully intricate embroidery of flowers and leaves stitched over the entirety of the fabric. She finished drying her hair and placed the towel with her dirty clothes.

Tathren walked back out to the bedroom and smelled freshly cooked food. She looked over to the sitting area and saw there was food sitting on the coffee table. She softly padded over to the area and sat down on one of the chairs.

Provided for her was a simple soup of vegetables and some sort of stock, soft bread, finely cooked salmon, and a pitcher of mulled fruit wine. Her stomach grumbled at the sight of the food. She quickly settled into the chair and dug into the food.

As she ate the delectable food, she thought about her situation. She hadn't really been aiming for a certain goal or destination, she was just wandering for the sake of adventure. She had left home for a reason, but she felt like she had found some purpose along the way. At home, she was a captain of their guard and she was a loving aunt to her sister's young children, but she longed to do something different. She didn't feel like she had a reason for her existence then. Thranduil had commented on her mood that night, that she was happy for everyone else but she truly want to be somewhere else.

She also wondered what Thranduil was planning and what his purpose was with her. She had assumed since she was trespassing, he would throw her in the cells or make her pay some fine. He brushed it off and instead offered her a room, food, and clean clothing. She knew that they had some strong unique connection, but she couldn't tell where it was going to lead.

She finished her food and poured herself a glass of water, grabbing it and setting it beside her bed. She wasn't tired anymore though. She figured she would be after a long day of traveling, but she was very much awake.

After an hour, she heard a knock on the door. She had rushed over to see who it was, but it was just a maid coming to collect her food tray and then came back to grab her dirty clothes to have them washed for the next day. She also stated she would be back in the morning with new clothes for her.

Tathren had noticed a bookcase with some fiction novels in both Sindarin and the common tongue. She picked out a random book and went out to the balcony and sat down on the thick top of the balustrade, opening the book, beginning to read, thinking it would make her tired.

After she was halfway through, another knock sounded at her door. She looked up at the door and back to her book before calling out to them, simply saying to come in, assuming they were a maid or guard coming to do something.

The door opened and Thranduil stood in the doorway. She had continued reading after she called out, still looking down at the book in her hand. She hadn't heard the door open, but it seemed like maybe the person had knocked on the wrong door and went away.

"How are you settling in?" A deep voice asked and Tathren's head snapped up, seeing the king standing there.

She quickly hopped down from the railing and took a few steps toward him.

"My king. I'm so sorry, I thought you were one of the guards." She spoke in a panicked voice.

"No need to worry. I just wanted to see how you were doing. From what I understand you had a very long day," he spoke. "Also, your light was still on."

"After I took a bath and ate, I wasn't tired anymore. So I decided to read for a little while." She responded.

Thranduil came further into the room and closed the door behind him. Tathren was standing at the entrance of the balcony doorway and the moonlight beamed down behind her. The moonlight passed through the fabric of her shirt and Thranduil could see the curvature of her body.

"Would you mind some company?" He asked.

"Sure, can we go outside?" She questioned and he nodded.

They walked outside and Tathren leaned against the railing. She folded her arms in front of her and looked out over the forest. She closed her eyes and took in the fresh air.

"You're very difficult to read," she spoke.

Thranduil came and stood next to her, facing the woman. "You haven't improved?" He joked.

She smiled. "Sadly no," she opened her eyes and then looked over to him seeing a small smirk sitting on his face. "I can't determine what you would gain from letting me stay here."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Any theories?"

"That's just the thing," she exclaimed and turned around, hopping up onto the balustrade again. "I have nothing to offer you. You have everything you could ever need and everything you want. I can't give you anything."

Thranduil took another step closer. "There is one thing," he spoke.

Tathren looked at him curiously. "What is it?" She questioned.

"Your time," he responded softly.

She tilted her head with confusion. "My time?"

"I want to have time to get to know you. What your favorite things are, what you like doing, your past, and what you want to do in the future. I want to know you." Thranduil exclaimed with heartfelt passion.

A small smile grew on her face before it fell and she looked away. He noticed the look that came across her face, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"This is going to sound odd, maybe insane, but I have thought about you continuously over the years since we danced and the short time we knew each other." She spoke with her eyes averted to the ground, but she looked back up to him. "I have wanted nothing more than to see you again and talk as we did then. I wish to know you more as well, but I know where you will want this to go."

"You have gotten better at your reading," he spoke with a lightheartedness, but it became serious again. "I do not understand how this troubles you."

She slid off of the balustrade smoothly and walked a few steps away and faced away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You have a realm to control and you do not need a random elf getting in the way of your responsibility. I will only get in the way," she paused and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I always have."

She thought back to her life before she left home. For the past four thousand and some odd years, she has been a constant interruption to her father. She always tried to stay out of the way, but to no avail, she always got shouted at for being a nuisance or an annoyance. They appreciated her for her fighting ability, but never really wanted her around for anything else. They placed her in charge of their guard as part of keeping her out of the way, thinking that it would keep her busy. Which it did. But she wanted to feel welcomed by her family. Her mother and father treated her like she was a burden and so did her siblings, except her sister.

Helekrana was the only one who had been keeping her there. They had been close and her sister was the only one who really showed her affection and treated her as a family member. Once Helekrana began having children, her time was occupied by taking care of them. Tathren was very happy for her but knew that things were going to be very different.

Tathren had realized that she hadn't found her purpose. Helekrana was a fantastic mother and a loving wife, and she was very talented with diplomatic matters. With her sister being the eldest of her siblings, Helekrana and her husband would take over if their father and mother died. Tathren was the youngest of the family and had no chance at earning a position in leadership other than commanding the guard.

She wanted to be known for more than the captain of the guard and a devoted and loving aunt to her sibling's children. She wanted to make something of herself, and she knew she couldn't do that at home where her parents and other siblings thought she was a burden and could only get in the way. Tathren knew she had to leave home to find her purpose. And she left behind her family's name in the process.

Thranduil was confused. "How could you ever get in the way?" He asked.

"My father always made it very clear how unwelcome my advice was and that I should keep it to myself. He said that just because I was captain of the guard didn't mean that my advice was valued." She muttered out. Her eyes watered out of pain and anger.

Thranduil's heart panged in anger at hearing this. He wondered how a father could be so cruel and uncaring. He had admitted to himself that he wasn't a great father to Legolas and that he had been cold, but he never belittled or berated his son. He also couldn't understand how this woman could ever be pushed off so easily. He could tell that she was a strong and intense person. He wondered how someone could ignore that kind of personality.

"I am not what you want." She choked out.

Thranduil walked up behind her and placed his hands on her arms and turned her around. He could see the tears pooling in her eyes. She quickly looked away from his face and blinked away her tears. He grabbed her chin gently, turning her face toward his.

"Do not speak of yourself as if you are nothing," he spoke strongly.

She laughed sadly and closed her eyes, holding back her tears once more. She was desperately trying to control her emotions in front of the king. She opened them and looked back into his eyes. He moved his hand to her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away a stray tear that had fallen.

"Why do you think so highly of me?" She questioned.

"Because something about you made me feel joy again. I am not sure of what it was, but you were the cause." He explained.

A small smile quirked on her face. "But I'm just me," she spoke.

Thranduil looked deeply into her eyes. "Perhaps that's why," he responded. She placed her hand over his and squeezed gently.

They stood there, gazing at each other as if nothing else around them existed. It was strange to think they had found each other again after several years of distance. Thranduil hadn't known enough information to inquire about Tathren, and Tathren didn't know if she should even try to find him. If her family thought she was a nuisance, she was sure he would too.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, holding his lips there for a moment before pulling back.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tathren." He spoke softly, looking into her eyes.

"Goodnight, Thranduil."

Thranduil walked back through the bedroom and opened the door. He looked back once more and saw Tathren watching after him. He gave her a meaningful glance, nodded his head, and walked out, closing the door behind him. He stood outside for a moment with his hand still on the handle. A small smile worked its way onto his face, feeling like something good might finally be happening.

And he retreated for the night.


End file.
